Councillors in Tenby are waiting to hear about a new ‘policy’ from Pembrokeshire County Council, before taking a fresh look at tackling the issue of A-boards obctructing pavements and walkways around the seaside town.

At Tenby Town Council’s most recent meeting, Cllr Laurence Blackhall said the issue of ‘accessibility’ around the town doesn’t go away.

He told his fellow members that it was timely to arrange a meeting between Pembrokeshire County Council officers, representatives of the Tenby Chamber of Trade, representatives of local businesses, and the Town Council to see if another look can be taken at the number of boards that are out there.

It was questioned whether there could be a voluntary code. It was proposed to ask for discussion and to look at options.

Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackall said that she was waiting to hear from Marc Owen, Public Realm Manager at Pembrokeshire County Council, who has just completed a new policy, feeling that there should then be more clarity on the matter.

It was proposed to hold off meeting any further until after Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall has met with Mr Owen.

Councillors in Tenby have long been asked to address ongoing accessibility issues around Tenby for those with mobility needs and families with pushchairs, with calls for Pembrokeshire County Council to finally clampdown on ‘out of control’ obstructions such as A-Boards, along with tables and chairs blocking the seaside town’s pavements and walkways.

Back before last summer, and ahead of the town’s pedestrianisation and ‘cafe culture’ scheme starting, Cllr Blackhall told his fellow members that the issue of such obstructions, was an ‘age-old frustration’.

He said that in some parts of town, things were ‘out of control’

“You can hardly move for them!” he remarked.

Adding to the debate, Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall said that she’d held a meeting with PCC a couple of years ago about A-Boards - but nothing had been done.

“We are going round in circles and it is not fair,” she stated.

“There is no need for all these A-Boards. There should be one flush to the wall per business but every year we see more and more.

“Pavements are not available for walking on and we have an ageing population who do not want to come into town because they are scared of being knocked over.”

Despite issues being highlighted many times of the years, many wheelchair and mobility scooter users have flagged-up the fact that nothing has been done to alleviate the matter - describing efforts to get around the walled town, like tackling an ‘assault course’.

County councillor for Tenby’s North Ward, Cllr Michael Williams previously described the scenario over the summer season an ‘eye-opener’ - blaming the County Council for failing to deal with the matter effectively, down the years, leading to the situation remaining ‘totally unacceptable’.

He described the situation for those who are disabled or elderly as something approaching a ‘slalom course’.

“It’s hard to believe in Tenby that footpaths mean footpaths! A priority must be those who are less able than many of us,” he remarked.